ho ho ha ha ha

This is it.
This is exactly what I was talking about.

Back in high school I had a "media matters" class. It was one of my last classes senior year, a fantastic class, the class where I was asked by the teacher to stand up as an example of how people need not follow the current mandate about fashion to look good. (The same class with "Crystal Beth," if I've mentioned that at all.) (If not ask me to.)

It was one of those multi-grade-level elective classes that was very open with itself, so that by the end of it we had definite personalities throughout the room. They varied. Mine was, ultimately, happiness.

It was a good year -- I had finally conquered some of the larger demons floating around in my mind, the end of school was coming, I had about 5 art classes that semester, I wasn't working at the juice shop anymore, I knew for certain I was graduating. I had returned to center, and that center has always been pretty positive. One day we were asked to bring in a CD and play our favorite song for the class. Well, the first minute or two of our favorite song. Someone played Evanescence's "Haunted", which I learned that day to be, out of context, one of the darkest and most sinister intros ever recorded. Immediately following this I played my choice -- Bela Fleck's "Aimum," from Outbound. Quite a different soul-story.

Once we had a discussion about trends in "cool". We had just watched a video clip lining up goth > tattoos/piercings in younger and younger people > insane clown posse in a linear time-lapsed progression, suggesting that cool is a pursuit of youth, and that the youth are trying to say "I am more extreme and dark than you are". Dark/violent/extreme = cool, thus spake the video.

Some people totally bought into this, some people getting passionately upset at the idea yet felt we were powerless to stop this inevitable path to Bad Bad Bad. (To what end, oh video?) I disagreed. "There's no way the 'more extreme' thing can progress much farther. When it comes down to actually hacking off your own limbs, people will start to realize that to be REALLY different is to be happy."

This was scorned by several people outright -- you can't combat all this darkness with a little happiness!

Oh, can't you?

In truth, trends went on to emo; sadness, not happiness. But a more honest picture of teen angst, maybe.

But since then I've seen a lot more pushing for the positive, I note somewhat smugly. I don't think it's just my age and life-place either. The Culture is into living green and eating healthier, and those are two steps in the right direction for sure. The buzz word is not 'consumerism' so much as 'sustainability'. People are trying to eat less processed mush and more Actual Food. Yoga is becoming a little more widespread. Actual studies are going into the pseudo-sciencey holistic medicine type facilities, meaning we are giving more serious thought to our mental well-being, which is a good step towards living life full -- not just focusing on SAT score type statistics on how smart we are or how much money we are making. Groups like Kaiser Permanente have those wonderful ad campaigns on just doing great things -- "Thrive".

Thrive. It's like seeing billboards for apples. Like seeing great big banners on buses that encourage you to go for long walks, or take naps. It warms your heart.

(Yes, this line of thinking was the original inspiration for my Crocs).

So. A few days ago I watched the first episode of the BBC's "The Human Face," hosted by John Cleese. I was completely delighted by this segment:



It isn't political, it isn't a push for the culture to be one thing or another, there's no motive. It's just a bunch of people laughing and enjoying one another's company. Their website outlines the laughter meetings in greater depth, lists all their findings and suggestions at length, and includes ample information for one to start their own club. So this can spread to anyone across the globe, for free.

This is where it's at, people. This is it. This is exactly what I've been saying all along. It's about people, it's about enjoying life, it's about being happy.

So let's tell everyone.